


Agent Coulson's Little Problem

by little_werewolf



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-05-06
Packaged: 2017-12-10 14:03:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,328
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/786870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/little_werewolf/pseuds/little_werewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Phil Coulson has a little problem, it's called Clint Barton.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Agent Coulson's Little Problem

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was inspired by this wonderful gif: http://agntq.tumblr.com/post/49542168878/phil-coulson-im-your-handler-clint-barton

When Phil Coulson met Clint Barton for the first time, he met a young man who was incapable of listening to any kind of orders. A man who acted out of instinct to survive. The only reason SHIELD had managed to convince Barton to join, was because they had brushed his ego, and had promised him clean slate from his past. Apparently that had been enough for Barton. Now it was Coulsons job to fine tune him. 

Easier said than done. 

Barton was soon enough named his little problem. No matter what mission he would send the man on, he would go of grid. The debriefings were a mess, and Coulson didn't even have the nerve to think about the reports. It looked so self destructing to see a clever man like Clint, to act so out of line. But who was Coulson to blame him. 

So Coulson started researching about Barton's background. He was Barton's handler for fucks sake, he was better than he had been so far. 

Phil learnt that Clint needed a little harder hand to follow, that he came more easily when praised. That he needed his freedom, and that taking away his time on the range was the worst that one could do. Phil learnt to trust Clint's actions and in return Clint seemed to trust him. 

Which apparently led to Barton one day bringing Romanoff into SHIELD. It took days to convince Fury that she would be a proper asset for them and to have her stay. So at the end Coulson got the job of being both of their handlers. It didn't exactly make things easier, life was never easy for Coulson, but it worked out somehow. 

So he wasn't surprised as Clint appeared in his office one day after he had come back from a few days home. The man looked downright distraught, his hands resting on Coulson's desk as if to make sure that he wouldn't fall. 

"Barton?" Coulson said slowly, moving to stand and walk around the desk. 

"Am I really just a problem for you?" Clint asked and Coulson stopped in his tracks with a shocked expression. 

"Barton, you're not my problem, you're my agent," Coulson replied seriously. He walked past the other to close the office door and then turned back to face him. 

"That's all?" Barton asked and he actually sounded defeated. Coulson frowned. He had never heard Barton talk like that. Of course there had been times after missions where both of them had let their guards down. Nights of sitting somewhere in the city, pretending that the world was alright and eating greasy food. But still there had been this last barrier with Barton, the last step to have the other man let his guard down completely. 

"What do you mean with 'that's all? You're my agent. My responsibility. You're not just a nobody to me," Coulson replied.

Very slowly so not to spook the other man, Phil reached out to put his hand on Barton's shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. 

"You didn't think I was going to leave you did you?" Phil asked, and as he the slight twitch in Clint's eyes he knew that he had hit the jackpot. Well, now, that wasn't something he had at all expected. 

"Well you disappear from earth and no one tells me anything around here, and not even Natasha could pinpoint where you were. Well she didn't really want to, but that's beside the point. You usually tell me when you're heading off for a mission somewhere," Clint muttered and it took Coulson a while to catch up with all of that. 

So not did Barton apparently have issues about being left alone, but had been worried about Coulson's whereabouts. 

"Barton... Clint, I was home visiting my parents," Coulson said reassuringly. Barton's expression was almost comical in return, and Coulson had to control himself not to start grinning. 

"Oh.. Damn.. Sorry... I apologize sir," Clint mumbled, stumbling over his words and feet. 

“Clint whatever got you in such a worry?” Phil couldn't stop himself from asking. The answer he got in return wasn't definitely not the one he had been expecting. Instead of words, he found himself suddenly with an armful of Barton and lips pressing against his own. He didn't even have time to react as Barton was already pulling back, walking backwards out of the room and then fleeing like he had only done in the first few weeks at SHIELD. 

It took him seconds to realise of what had happened. Clint Barton had kissed him. Had kissed him and then run off without even wondering what Phil would do in return. Not that Phil knew, because he had never thought about his agent like that. Well, that maybe was a lie, because who in the hell hadn’t watched Clint work out and then not want to touch those arms. 

So there Clint Barton had once more become Phil Coulson’s little problem, and once again he had no idea how to deal with it. 

The next few days were tense, and Barton seemed to avoid him at every cost. Coulson was able to deal with it until the next mission came into view, and both Barton and had to head out for it together. Everything seemed to be going as plan, until the moment Barton was being reckless again, something he hadn't been for a while. Coulson could only watch as the other man was putting himself right in the line of fire, grinning at his target and shooting the man right into the throat while a bullet caught him in the stomach. 

“Having a little problem again Phil?” Sitwell called out when Coulson returned to SHIELD with Barton, who was lying on a stretcher and looking definitely put out by the whole ordeal.

“Not now Jasper,” Phil murmured with a small glare, following the medics as far as he could. He knew how much Barton loved to escape the medical ward, and he would have none of it, not this time.

“What did you think you’re doing?!” he shouted angrily at Barton once they were alone in one of the patient rooms in the medical ward. 

“Doing my job sir,” Barton replied and he even had the nerve to sound smug about it. 

“You’re job is not to bring yourself in the line of fire and get yourself killed,” Coulson said angrily, reaching up to run a hand through his hair in frustration. “I thought we were past the point of you doing these childish acts.”

“ Didn't think you would care sir,” Barton replied and Coulson was sure he could feel an aneurysm build up in his brain. 

“Whatever gave you that idea Barton?!” Phil actually snarled, and the surprised expression on Barton’s face was enough for him to see that the other man was finally listening. 

“Well.. I...” Clint started, but Phil held up his hand to shut the other man up. 

“You don’t get to kiss me, run off and then think that the whole world is against you,” Phil muttered all the fight leaving him for a moment. He let out a heavy sigh, his shoulders sagging and looking over at Barton with a helpless expression. “You’re coming home with me, and then we’ll talk this out.”

“Home with you? As in your flat?” Barton asked, already pushing himself up from the examination table he had been lying on. 

“Am I starting to talk Chinese? Yes my flat,” Coulson replied with a roll of his eyes. Still the shy grin that tugged at Barton’s lips was worth it. 

“You know, you've become the rather persisting little problem,” he mused softly after a while as they were walking out to the car. 

“Well you are my handler sir, I will always be your problem,” Clint replied with a grin. 

“That I guess you will be,” Phil replied with a grin, and for once he didn't mind at all.


End file.
